Lena Rivera
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian polymath and founding figure of the High Renaissance. While he is best known for his paintings, he was also a prolific note-taker, with eleven surviving manuscripts of his notes and drawings, amounting to thousands of pages. There are only around eight major works by da Vinci, and his paintings are especially coveted. The last privately owned da Vinci painting, Salvator Mundi, sold for a record-breaking $450 million.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of authenticated paintings | 15 |
| Number of major works | 8 |
| Names of some major works | The Adoration of the Magi, Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, the Louvre Virgin of the Rocks, Salvator Mundi |
| Most expensive painting sold for | $450 million |
| Last privately owned painting | Salvator Mundi |
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What You'll Learn
The small number of surviving paintings
Leonardo da Vinci is widely regarded as a genius who epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal. His fame initially rested on his achievements as a painter, but he was also a scenographic engineer, military engineer, weapons designer, architect, canal builder, and more. He kept his private life a secret, and very little is known about his childhood.
Despite his enormous influence on subsequent artists, there are only around eight major surviving paintings by Leonardo da Vinci. This small number is due in part to his habit of disastrous experimentation with new techniques and his chronic procrastination, which resulted in many incomplete works.
One of the most famous of these surviving paintings is the "Salvator Mundi", a potent depiction of Christ, which became the most expensive artwork ever sold when it fetched $450 million at auction. The painting had been part of the British Royal Collection until King James II sold it in the 1680s. It was auctioned off 80 years later and disappeared until a British collector bought it in 1900. The painting was heavily overpainted, leading scholars to believe it was a copy by one of da Vinci's students. However, after extensive conservation treatment, it was determined to be the original by Leonardo da Vinci.
Another of da Vinci's surviving paintings is the "Mona Lisa", which also displays the artist's genius in its androgynous figure, ambiguous expression, and evidence of scientific research. The "Mona Lisa" is so famous that even T-shirts bear its image, and it continues to draw crowds.
In addition to these two famous works, there are around six other authenticated da Vinci paintings in the world, including "The Adoration of the Magi", "Saint Jerome in the Wilderness", and "The Virgin of the Rocks".
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Salvator Mundi's attribution
The Salvator Mundi, or "Savior of the World", is the last known privately owned painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It depicts Christ holding the world in his left hand and offering a blessing with his right. The painting was auctioned off in 2017 for $450.3 million, becoming the most expensive work of art ever sold.
The attribution of the Salvator Mundi remains extremely controversial. While Christie's, which sold the work in 2017, stated that most leading scholars consider it an original work by Leonardo, this attribution has been disputed by other leading specialists. Some propose that Leonardo only contributed certain elements, while others believe that the extensive restoration prevents a definitive attribution. The painting's provenance is also obscure, as it disappeared from records between 1763 and 1900. This gap, along with the painting's poor condition and heavy overpainting, has led to speculation that it may be the work of one of Leonardo's pupils or followers.
Some critics have noted that the Salvator Mundi does exhibit interesting passages, such as the soft modelling of Jesus' right hand and the finesse of his tight curls, which are indicative of Leonardo's style. In addition, biographer Walter Isaacson notes that the painting employs a technique that renders most of the image in soft focus, except for Christ's right hand, which is in sharp focus, making it seem like it is "coming out at you". Isaacson also observes that the painting has many of the same qualities as the "Mona Lisa", including an androgynous figure, an ambiguous expression, and evidence of da Vinci's scientific research.
In 2021, news reports described an undisclosed Louvre document that allegedly confirmed the painting's attribution to Leonardo after rigorous scientific analysis. However, due to the painting's absence from the planned 2019 Leonardo exhibition at the Louvre, officials are prohibited by law from discussing the evaluation or authentication of privately owned works. As such, no official record of the painting's attribution exists, and the extensive nature of its restoration may prevent a definitive resolution.
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Da Vinci's genius
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian polymath and one of the founding figures of the High Renaissance. While his fame initially rested on his achievements as a painter, he was also a scenographic engineer, military engineer, weapons designer, and made significant contributions to architecture and canal building.
Da Vinci left behind a small number of surviving paintings, partly due to his habit of experimenting with new techniques and his chronic procrastination, which resulted in many incomplete works. There are currently around 15 authenticated da Vinci paintings in the world, including the renowned "Mona Lisa", "The Adoration of the Magi", "Saint Jerome in the Wilderness", and "Virgin of the Rocks".
In addition to his paintings, da Vinci kept notebooks containing drawings and notes on a wide range of subjects, including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and palaeontology. There are eleven surviving manuscripts, amounting to thousands of pages.
Da Vinci's last privately owned painting, "Salvator Mundi", sold for a record-breaking $450 million in 2017. The painting, a depiction of Christ, showcases da Vinci's meticulous attention to detail and scientific research. Despite being heavily overpainted and restored, experts agreed it was an original da Vinci.
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Da Vinci's private life
Leonardo da Vinci, born on 15 April 1452, was the illegitimate son of a successful notary, Ser Piero, and a lower-class woman, Caterina, in Vinci, Italy. He was raised in his father's household and had access to scholarly texts and artistic influences from an early age. Da Vinci received only basic and informal education, possibly due to his family's decision to focus on nurturing his artistic talents.
Da Vinci's early life was marked by his apprenticeship at the renowned workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence, where he demonstrated exceptional talent. One notable example is his contribution to Verrocchio's "Baptism of Christ," where Da Vinci's skill reportedly led his master to resolve never to paint again.
Da Vinci led a private life, rarely referencing his personal affairs in his extensive writings. This secrecy has fuelled speculation about his intimate relationships, philosophy, religion, vegetarianism, left-handedness, and appearance. One aspect that has been subject to much analysis is his sexuality. Court records from 1476 indicate that Da Vinci, then 24, was charged with sodomy, along with three other young men, involving a known male prostitute, Jacopo Saltarelli. Scholars like Walter Isaacson and Elizabeth Abbott have interpreted this incident as indicative of Da Vinci's homosexuality, potentially leading to celibacy later in life.
Da Vinci's most intimate relationships were rumoured to be with his pupils Salaì and Melzi. Melzi, in a letter informing Da Vinci's brothers of his death, described the artist's feelings for his pupils as loving and passionate. These relationships have been speculated to be of a sexual or erotic nature, contributing to the ongoing fascination with Da Vinci's private life.
In addition to his art, Da Vinci made significant discoveries in various fields, including anatomy, civil engineering, hydrodynamics, geology, optics, and tribology. He conceptualised flying machines, armoured fighting vehicles, concentrated solar power, and a ratio machine. However, many of his designs were not constructed during his lifetime due to the limitations of Renaissance-era science and engineering.
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Da Vinci's paintings in existence
Leonardo da Vinci is renowned for his work as a painter, but he was also a prolific note-taker, filling thousands of pages with drawings and notes on anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and palaeontology. He is widely regarded as a genius who epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal.
There are only around 15 authenticated Leonardo da Vinci paintings in the world, including Salvator Mundi, which became the most expensive artwork ever sold when it fetched $450 million. The small number of surviving paintings is partly due to Leonardo's experimentation with new techniques and his procrastination, which resulted in many incomplete works.
Salvator Mundi, a potent depiction of Christ, is the only known Leonardo painting in a private collection. It was once part of the British Royal Collection until King James II sold it in the 1680s. The painting resurfaced in 1900 when it was purchased by a British collector, but it was so heavily overpainted that it was believed to be a copy. After extensive restoration, it was authenticated as an original Leonardo da Vinci painting.
Other renowned da Vinci paintings include the Adoration of the Magi, Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, the Louvre Virgin of the Rocks, and the Mona Lisa, which is known for its androgynous figure, ambiguous expression, and evidence of da Vinci's scientific research.
While da Vinci's paintings are relatively scarce, his legacy is also carried on through his notes and drawings, with eleven surviving manuscripts amounting to thousands of pages.
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Frequently asked questions
There is only one Leonardo da Vinci painting known to be in a private collection, "Salvator Mundi" or "Savior of the World".
The painting was last known to be in the collection of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, also known as MBS.
The painting sold for a record-breaking price of 450.3 million dollars.
"Salvator Mundi" depicts Christ holding the world in his left hand and offering a blessing with his right.
It is unlikely, as there are only about 12 absolutely full-scale, finished paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, and most of them are in museums or public collections.
